Prayer: Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, we come before You, asking for mercy. We acknowledge our mistakes and ask for Your forgiveness. Lord, we ask that you forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lord, increase our spirit of love and help us to forgive those who have wronged us. We have learned that having an unforgiving heart harms us more than it affects others. Lord, have mercy according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all iniquities.
Lord, we know Your nature is to show mercy. When people meet me, I want them to know You live in us. Give us attitudes and opportunities to demonstrate Your mercy to a world that shows no mercy. As my faith grows, please give me a profound knowledge of mercy. May the words from my mouth be pleasing to Your ear and food for Your people. We pray and ask in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Message: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:14-15, NLT).
When you bow (or stand) to pray, remember that Jesus interceded in human life through His living and dying. His death assures us of forgiveness for sin; remember His last words. He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26, ESV). During His time on earth, Jesus’ teaching was remarkable and eye-opening, especially for those with an ear to hear the Word of God. We recognize those who have not heard because they go on revenge tours against perceived enemies, often using evil words and wicked means to accomplish their goals.
The Word of God assures us that Jesus Christ forgave us and is our advocate if we sin (1 John 2:1). The Lord’s divine mercy concerning forgiveness is tied to human action. For the Word of God says, “if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matt. 6:14, NASB). We could call it quid pro quo, an agreement between God and humans. This verse reminds us that just as Christ forgave us, we should forgive others. God is omniscient; He knows our hearts, so we cannot pretend to forgive others and think God does not know. “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (Psa. 32:1). We all need a blessing, and we need to ensure that those who have not heard and understood the Word of God know that even lawless acts can be forgiven (Rom. 4:7).
So, let us reason together because we need to understand that true forgiveness requires surrendering your heart to the Lord. Redemption is through His blood, and He has given His disciples power, but Jesus has also given the world the right to judge whether we are His disciples by the way we love and forgive others. The world is watching! The Word of God says, “Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else” (Col. 3:13). Once we become Christians, we become a new creation, mirror images of Jesus Christ; therefore, forgiveness should be easy. Remember, the Lord said, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven”.
My Christian brothers and sisters, watch yourselves. Forgiveness should flow naturally from our hearts because, as Christians, we have taken on the nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we, who are called by His name, do not forgive others, we need to examine ourselves and determine whether we reflect the image of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. When we are found lacking, the world will use our failure to proclaim that the Jesus we serve is not the Son of God and is not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient.
When you forgive, you show the world that Jesus lives in you. “Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3:19). If you want a lasting encounter with God, fast in the right spirit and forgive.
Benediction: May the Lord give us a fresh anointing and increase our spirit of forgiveness and peace so that we may abound in hope. Amen!
